Fiske's General Store in Holliston celebrates 150 years in business

Mom and pop stores searching for the secret to business longevity should take a look at Fiske's General Store. One hundred and fifty years after the store opened on Washington Street, it continues to offer customers a wide variety of products and services, with a personal touch.

Mom and pop stores searching for the secret to business longevity should take a look at Fiske's General Store.

One hundred and fifty years after the store opened on Washington Street, it continues to offer customers a wide variety of products and services, with a personal touch.

"We are really general," owner John Paltrineri said of the store's inventory. "We want to be the place people want to come to, where they run into people they know and have a chat."

James F. Fiske, whose portrait still hangs in the store, started the business in 1863 and sold hats, boots and railway tickets. Fiske ran one of the town's first telephone lines between his store and his Hollis Street home. His store was also the first in town to have a plate-glass window installed.

The Paltrineri family took over the store in 1973, when John's father Louis decided to buy it after serving as manager. Together the father-and-son team, John was 23 years old when they bought the store, ran the business until John bought out his father's share in the 1980s.

"Our whole attitude was let's turn this into a family store," said Paltrineri. "It was a good opportunity. The town was really in a growing phase then. It was becoming a desirable place to live."

In honor of Fiske's 150th anniversary, Paltrineri said the store will make a donation to a different group or organization each month this year. Anyone who signs up for a Fiske's membership card, which gets customers 20 percent off almost everything in the store, $5 from their fee will go to the organization of the month. In February, donations will go to the Holliston Lions Club.

Over the years, Paltrineri has expanded the types of products sold at Fiske's, which now includes art supplies, toys, candy, greeting cards, Holliston spirit wear and kitchenware.

In the last five to 10 years, Paltrineri has made a big push to offer various board games for families in the area, particularly ones they won't find in the big-box stores. There are about 200 different games in the store, and there is also a game library that lets families rent a game for a week and decide if they like it before they buy it.

"That's what keeps us going, interacting with families," Paltrineri said. "We offer socialization for kids. And we generally stay away from electronics because we can't compete."

The staff also makes bows and Easter baskets to order, and helps people searching for a last minute gift for a party. Fiske's "Gift to Go" program lets customers pick out a gift that is then wrapped in tissue paper and put in a bag with a balloon tied to it. Nowadays when people see the balloon, they know the gift is from Fiske's.

He happened to find the love of his life, Carol, who came into the store in April 1973 looking to buy newspapers for the pharmacy she was working at. An "X" marks the spot where she stood in the store when they first met

In a time when big-box stores and the Internet boast low-priced and convenient shopping, Fiske's has stayed strong, but it hasn't always been easy Paltrineri said.

"It is always competitive," he said. "It is a constant battle. But we just have to find our niche and keep working."

And as the store marks 150 years in business, Paltrineri said he is optimistic about the future.

"There are good days and there are bad days," he said. "But 99.9 percent of it has been wonderful. This is my second home."

Joe O'Connell can be reached at 508-626-3957 or joconnell@wickedlocal.com.